About the Author

Danny Higginbotham is one of the up and coming football media pundits. He works extensively for Sky, BT Sport and the BBC and also writes a regular column in the Stoke Sentinel and Manchester Evening News. Born in Manchester, Higginbotham started his career at Manchester United. After a loan spell with Belgium side Royal Antwerp, he joined Derby County and spent three years at the "Rams" but handed in a transfer request when the club was relegated from the Premiership. Southampton moved to sign Higginbotham for GBP1.5 million in February 2003, and he helped the South Coast side reach the 2003 FA Cup Final. When Southampton were relegated in 2005, Higginbotham rejected a new contact and was placed on the transfer list. He joined fellow Championship side Stoke City for GBP225,000 in August 2006. He was made captain when Michael Duberry left in January 2007 and Stoke went on to narrowly miss out on a play-off place. With Stoke not being promoted Higginbotham again decided to hand in a transfer request to help force through a move to Sunderland. He spent one season at the Stadium of Light before returning to Stoke in 2008. He became a vital member of Tony Pulis' squad as Stoke established themselves in the Premier League. He scored the winning goal in the FA Cup quarter final against West Ham United but injury meant he missed out on both the semi-final and the final. Higginbotham made his international debut for Gibraltar in a friendly against Slovakia in November 2013 at the age of 34. In January 2014, Higginbotham retired from club football.